Johnnie Walker Invisible in Sydney

Johnnie Walker Red, the Scotch whisky known for its tagline “Keep Walking”, is being promoted in Australia with a television advertisement filmed in Kings Cross, a night spot in Sydney. The ad was launched on Boxing Day 2006 in association with the Australia/England Ashes cricket series, and was connected with the Johnnie Walker Red Label bar found at each of the Ashes venues.

The Johnnie Walker Invisible TV ad takes the perspective of an invisible character who is chauffer driven to meet friends for a night on the town. As he leaves his car and walks towards a night club he encounters similarly invisible characters. As he arrives at the bar, the Johnnie Walker Red Room, we discover that the character is Johnnie Walker himself. The ad finishes with the Striding Man logo. Click on the image below to play the video in YouTube

Credits

Filming was directed by Spencer Susser at Curious Film with director of photography Greig Fraser, producer John Rogers and co-producer Lucy Cooper. The ad was shot over three nights in Kings Cross, an infamous red light district in Sydney.

Post production was done at Fuel VFX, Sydney, by 35 artists and technicians under the leadership of Simon Maddison, VFX producer Dave Kelly, Lead Flame Artist Karen Fabling 3D Lead Mike Bain and 2D lead Chris Davies. 89 invisible people were created for the spot, along with CG and digital doubles used to populate scenes.

Sound was designed at Nylon Studios. The soundtrack to the clip, “Don’t judge me by the clothes I wear, If you get to know me you know I won’t care”, was composed by Elliott Wheeler at Nylon Studios with words by Andrew Ostrom at Leo Burnett. Nylon Studios suggested adding a French translation to the recording. “Ne me juger pas par les vêtements que je porte…”. The song was sung by Pip Branson and Melanie Horsnell.

really nice song. was it just made for the commerical or what? I would much like to obtain it.

Hannah

If it was made for the song wouldn’t it be like 1 minute worth of song because the commercial was short. Trying to find it too but can’t.

Andrew

The track was written for the spot by Elliott Wheeler at Nylon Studios.

Martyn

Hi – Does anyone know the origin for the music on the “Dogfight” Keep Walking ad ? The one with Alonso on an aircraft carrier talking about F1 drivers pulling “up to 5 g’s for over an hour ! Cheers.

Ian Mack

Melbourne got a hefty hit of this silly Ad over the Xmas period. The Ad was filmed in Sydney’s Kings Cross with ‘headless’ and ‘legless’ people – go figure! Maybe there are ‘headless’ and ‘legless’ people here in Melbourne too?

Johnny Walker is an excellent whisky. It doesn’t need any help from Sydney’s Kings Cross. What it needs is a sensible Ad that sells what a fine whisky it actually is!

Doogs

Get a life Ian!

An advertisement that grabs your attention and is a bit different should be applauded. Sensible advertisements bore the pants off you very quickly.

Dhanya

I love this ad!
It’s so unique and catchy – very well done.
One of the only ads I love watching every time it comes on TV.

Ian Mack

Hi Doogs,

Happy 2008 to all! My life’s fine, thanks Doogs!

I’m sorry, but I find the Ad cretinous and silly.

I get Johnny Walker when I can afford it.

When this Ad comes on I grab my remote to shut out the drongo music and ignore the Ad. As an occasional buyer of the product, this is perhaps not the intended effect of the Ad.

Doogs

Happy 2008 to you too, Ian.

I watch (probably too much) cricket on TV and I find the Johnnie Walker advertisement one that I don’t mind. At least it has a catchy tune and clever photography.

But the Johhny Walker Ad is over a year old now, and I’m finding the new blanket campaign a bit tough.

I hope a new, more relevant, campaign isn’t far away!

Ian Mack

I spoke too soon. Apparently there is a new UK based ad that is even less relevant than the Sydney one.

The ‘Johnnie Walker Human ad’ was developed at Bartle Bogle Hegarty, London, by ‘chairman and worldwide creative director’ John Hegarty. It features an android in a library, and then outisde releasing a butterfly. I kid you not!

Johnny Walker is a scotch whisky. It is (or may not always be) blended in Scotland, depending on where it is sold. In local markets, such as Australia, local ad agencies can contribute their own creativity, such as the irrelevant Kings Cross advert, the subject of this blog.

All this blurring of corporate accountability is not confined to the makers of scotch. To an outsider like me, it is just creative Ad extravagance gone mad.

Why can’t we just have a Johnny Walker Ad that shows why it is a superior drop?

The latest 2008 ‘Johnny Walker’ Ad saturating Test Cricket this year is as awful as its predecessors. You know the one. The music is ‘Doonga…Doonga…Doonga’. The B & W film shows a Sydney Bridge Builder, surf lifesavers, etc. etc. that finally resolve into Johnny Walker striding purposefully ahead. There’s a catchline. But I can’t remember what it is. What utter claptrap!

Give us a break. Cricket and whisky – always a very, very long stretch. Why the Ad agency sees a connection between cricket and whisky may forever remain a mystery. Cricket lovers will have to suffer in silence while this weirdness continues. As a Scot, I say Whisky is a sacred, national brew. It has absolutely nothing to do with cricket or the present Australia – South Africa standoff.

Bizza

I love this ad…the music and visual- a masterpiece, effective advertising.

Stay Inspired

What is The Inspiration Room?

A global effort designed to influence, affect and involve creative communities in the development of a world standard for inspiration, particularly in the fields of advertising, design and film. More »